The
Whitehorse Hotel is pleased to be able to provide
our guests with escorted tours led by one of our
bilingual staff of surrounding cultural
highlights. We offer the following tours:
TOUR ONE - Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto.
Matsumoto
Castle is a Japanese National Treasure. It
has weathered the trials of wars &
insurgencies for over 400 years. The City of
Matsumoto has grown up around the Castle.
The Donjon Tower (Tenshu) is the oldest 5
story tower in Japan. It was built for
warfare. Subsequent additions were
constructed in peaceful times & display
a more graceful archetecture, such as the
Moon Observatory (Tsukimi-Yagura).
The tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel, using the local Hakuba-Matsumoto train
* Entrance to Matsumoto Castle
* A Bilingual Guide
* A visit to the Matsumoto Art Gallery. The Art Gallery has a focus on modern Japanese Art & is a very impressive building in its own right.
* Time for strolling the City Streets, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. The cost of lunch is not included in the tour. Travel in Matsumoto is by foot & involves approximately a 3 kilometer walk through the inner City. A Taxi can be arranged for those who wish it. The Tour lasts all day.
TOUR TWO - Zenkoji Temple, Nagano.
The
Zenkoji Temple is a must see when in the
Hakuba area. The Temple was founded over
1400 years ago & was last reconstructed
in 1707. The Temple holds the oldest
Buddhist statute in Japan having been
brought here from China in the 7th Century.
The original statute is not on display but a
copy is displayed every 7 years. In contrast
to Matsumoto, the City of Nagano has grown
up around the Temple.
The Tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel by one of our four wheel drive mini busses.
* Entrance to the Temple. There is no fee for strolling around the Temple grounds or entering the Temple itself, but a fee is charged if you wish to search for the key to paradise. Located in the Temple basement, in total darkness is a tunnel. For those that enter & find the key enlightenment is gained by turning it. For those that don't a walk through a totally dark tunnel can be quite a challenging experience.
* A Bilingual guide
* Time for strolling the City Streets, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. The costs of lunch is not included in the tour. Travel in Nagano is by foot, but is not strenous.
TOUR THREE - Jigokudani Yaenkeon (Wild Monkey Onsen)
The
local monkeys are Japanese Macaque. In this
area, and this area alone, the monkeys
bathe,swim, wade & frolic in the local
hot springs. The monkey park is located on
the banks of the Yokoyu River in the
Jigokudani (Hell's Gates) Valley at an
elevation of 850 meters. Over 200 monkeys
live there. You will be able to come right
up to them, but don't touch or feed them!
There is a walk of 1.6 kilometers from where the mini bus can be parked to the Monkey Onsen through the Jigokudani Valley.
The tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel by one of our four wheel drive mini busses.
* Entrance to the Monkey Onsen
* A bilingual guide
* Time for strolling the City Streets of Nagano, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant.
The costs of lunch is not included in the tour. Tours 2 & 3 can be combined into one day, but the time for strolling & looking in shops is lost but we still let you eat lunch! In winter the path can be covered in snow & ice. You must wear appropriate footwear.
Please contact us for pricing and tour dates.
For a little adventure here in Hakuba we recommend Evergreen Outdoor Center. Their experienced guides can take you to some of the best backcountry in the world. In the warmer months they offer a great range of activities for all ages.
Evergreen Outdoor Center
TOUR ONE - Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto.
The tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel, using the local Hakuba-Matsumoto train
* Entrance to Matsumoto Castle
* A Bilingual Guide
* A visit to the Matsumoto Art Gallery. The Art Gallery has a focus on modern Japanese Art & is a very impressive building in its own right.
* Time for strolling the City Streets, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. The cost of lunch is not included in the tour. Travel in Matsumoto is by foot & involves approximately a 3 kilometer walk through the inner City. A Taxi can be arranged for those who wish it. The Tour lasts all day.
TOUR TWO - Zenkoji Temple, Nagano.
The Tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel by one of our four wheel drive mini busses.
* Entrance to the Temple. There is no fee for strolling around the Temple grounds or entering the Temple itself, but a fee is charged if you wish to search for the key to paradise. Located in the Temple basement, in total darkness is a tunnel. For those that enter & find the key enlightenment is gained by turning it. For those that don't a walk through a totally dark tunnel can be quite a challenging experience.
* A Bilingual guide
* Time for strolling the City Streets, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. The costs of lunch is not included in the tour. Travel in Nagano is by foot, but is not strenous.
TOUR THREE - Jigokudani Yaenkeon (Wild Monkey Onsen)
There is a walk of 1.6 kilometers from where the mini bus can be parked to the Monkey Onsen through the Jigokudani Valley.
The tour includes:
* Return travel from the Whitehorse Hotel by one of our four wheel drive mini busses.
* Entrance to the Monkey Onsen
* A bilingual guide
* Time for strolling the City Streets of Nagano, looking in shops & lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant.
The costs of lunch is not included in the tour. Tours 2 & 3 can be combined into one day, but the time for strolling & looking in shops is lost but we still let you eat lunch! In winter the path can be covered in snow & ice. You must wear appropriate footwear.
Please contact us for pricing and tour dates.
For a little adventure here in Hakuba we recommend Evergreen Outdoor Center. Their experienced guides can take you to some of the best backcountry in the world. In the warmer months they offer a great range of activities for all ages.
Evergreen Outdoor Center
